1 Peter 5:1
ESV
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:
NIV
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:
NASB
Therefore, I urge elders among you, as your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who is also a fellow partaker of the glory that is to be revealed:
CSB
I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed:
NLT
And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you:
KJV
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
NKJV
The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:
What does 1 Peter 5:1 mean?
Peter is about to give specific instructions to the leaders of the Christian churches who will read his letter. He calls them the elders, from presbyterous in the original Greek. The position of elder in the local church is referenced throughout the New Testament (1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5–6). These are mature, experienced Christians, charged with leading the local churchesPeter makes his appeal to these leaders as one who is also an elder. In addition, however, Peter points to his experience as an eyewitness to the sufferings of Christ. He personally saw the events he preached about. He further identifies himself as one who will share in the glory to be revealed when Christ returns. This glory will be shared by all who have shared in Christ's sufferings (1 Peter 4:13). Thus, Peter reveals that he himself has shared in the sufferings of Christ.
With that introduction, Peter will spend the next three verses telling the elders of the church how to "shepherd the flock."
